The issue of sexual harassment in science is gaining much needed attention. In physics, a 2019 survey study found that 68% of female undergraduate respondents experienced sexual or sexist harassment in a physics environment. In 2018, the National Academy of Science released a report to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in sciences, engineering, and medicine. The report notes anyone can experience sexual harassment, but some demographics (e.g., women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer [LGBTQ+)] individuals) may have higher rates, including those with multiple minoritized identities. While there are many important aspects to address regarding sexual harassment, in this article we focus on the third recommendation in the National Academies’ report: “Move beyond legal compliance to address culture and climate.” In the sections below, we discuss some of the limitations of policy and provide suggestions for how to create a culture and climate in the physics classroom and around the department that can work to prevent sexual harassment. We draw from research on sexual harassment from a variety of contexts, including outside of academia and STEM, as there are likely commonalities in experiences regardless of context.
References
1.
Lauren M.
Aycock
, Zahra
Hazari
, Eric
Brewe
, Kathryn B. H.
Clancy
, Theodore
Hodapp
, and Renee Michelle
Goertzen
, “Sexual harassment reported by undergraduate female physicists
,” Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.
15
, 010121
(2019
).2.
Engineering National Academies of Sciences and Medicine
, Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
(National Academies Press
, 2018
).3.
Laura
McCullough
, “Women in physics: A review
,” Phys. Teach.
40
, 86
–91
(Feb. 2002
).4.
C.
Ostroff
, A. J.
Kinicki
, and R. S.
Muhammad
, “Organizational Culture and Climate
,” in Handbook of Psychology
, 2nd ed. (2012
).5.
Throughout this manuscript, we use the word
“ victim” to refer to those who have been subjected to sexual harassment. Some define themselves as survivors. We encourage those wanting to be supportive to use the term that the person subjected to sexual harassment uses
.6.
Ganga
Vijayasiri
, “Reporting sexual harassment: The importance of organizational culture and trust
,” Gender Issues
25
, 43
–61
(2008
).7.
Mindy E.
Bergman
, Regina Day
Langhout
, Patrick A
Palmieri
, Lilia M
Cortina
, and Louise F
Fitzgerald
, “The (un)reasonableness of reporting: Antecedents and consequences of reporting sexual harassment
,” J. Appl. Psychol.
87
, 230
(2002
).8.
Dulini
Fernando
and Ajnesh
Prasad
, “Sex-based harassment and organizational silencing: How women are led to reluctant acquiescence in academia
,” Hum. Relations
0018726718809164
(2018
).9.
Lilia M.
Cortina
and S. Arzu
Wasti
, “Profiles in coping: Responses to sexual harassment across persons, organizations, and cultures
,” J. Appl. Psychol.
90
, 182
(2005
).10.
Sandy
Welsh
, Jacquie
Carr
, Barbara
MacQuarrie
, and Audrey
Huntley
, “‘I’m not thinking of it as sexual harassment’: Understanding harassment across race and citizenship
,” Gender Soc.
20
, 87
–107
(2006
).11.
Jason N.
Houle
, Jeremy
Staff
, Jeylan T.
Mortimer
, Christopher
Uggen
, and Amy
Blackstone
, “The impact of sexual harassment on depressive symptoms during the early occupational career
,” Soc. Mental Health
1
, 89
–105
(2011
).12.
Heather
McLaughlin
, Christopher
Uggen
, and Amy
Blackstone
, “The economic and career effects of sexual harassment on working women
,” Gender Soc.
31
, 333
–358
(2017
).13.
Kathryn
Clancy
, Katharine
Lee
, Erica M.
Rodgers
, and Christina
Richey
, “Double jeopardy in astronomy and planetary science: Women of color face greater risks of gendered and racial harassment
,” J. Geophys. Res. Planets
122
, 1610
–1623
(2017
).14.
Ellen
Sekreta
, “Sexual harassment, misconduct, and the atmosphere of the laboratory: The legal and professional challenges faced by women physical science researchers at educational institutions
,” Duke J. Gender Law Policy
13
, 115
(2006
).15.
Heather
McLaughlin
, Christopher
Uggen
, and Amy
Blackstone
, “Sexual harassment, workplace authority, and the paradox of power
,” Am. Sociol. Rev.
77
, 625
–647
(2012
).16.
Greetje
Timmerman
and Cristien
Bajema
, “The impact of organizational culture on perceptions and experiences of sexual harassment
,” J. Vocat. Behav.
57
, 188
–205
(2000
).17.
See, for example,
Kathleen
Foote
, Alexis
Knaub
, Charles
Henderson
, Melissa
Dancy
, and Robert J.
Beichner
, “Enabling and challenging factors in institutional reform: The case of scale-up
,” Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.
12
, 010103
(2016
).18.
For example, “
2019 Women in Science Conference
,” http://www.okepscor.org/calendar/2019-women-science-conference-science-museum-oklahoma.19.
Gender Bias in Physics: An International Forum, https://genderbias.compadre.org/resources/.
20.
Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, https://stopsexualassaultinschools.org/.
21.
Dana
Balick
, “Harassment-free hallways: How to stop sexual harassment in school. A guide for students, parents, and schools
” (American Association of University Women Educational Foundation
, 2004
).22.
“
K12 programs mobilizing women in physics
,” https://www.aapt.org/K12/Mobilizing-Women-in-Physics.cfm.23.
“
Identifying and Addressing Subtle Biases in the Workplace: Microaggressions
,” https://www.aapt.org/Conferences/wm2019/upload/aapt_meeting_at_a_glance_new-2.pdf.24.
Debbie
Dougherty
and Mary Jeanette
Smythe
, “Sensemaking, organizational culture, and sexual harassment
,” J. Appl. Comm. Res.
32
, 293
–317
(2004
).25.
Kerstin
Perez
, “Striving toward a space for equity and inclusion in physics classrooms
,” Teach. Learn. Together High. Educ.
1
, 3
(2016
).26.
Linda E.
Strubbe
, Electra
Eleftheriadou
, Sarah B.
McKagan
, Adrian M.
Madsen
, and Dimitri R.
Dounas-Frazer
, “Physics departments should discuss sexual harassment – But consider this first
,” arXiv e-prints, arXiv:1906.02701 (2019
), arXiv:1906.02701 [physics.ed-ph].27.
Gina M.
Quan
et al, “Designing for institutional transformation: Six principles for department-level interventions
,” Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.
15
, 010141
(2019
).© 2020 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2020
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to The Physics Teacher and the American Journal of Physics as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.